Category: Home Decor/Entertaining

REFRESHING YOUR DINNERWARE

posted by Elshane on Aug 16 2017, under Home Decor/Entertaining

 

I was on the hunt for a new set of casual, everyday dinnerware. I checked out the usual suspects... won't mention any names but their initials include PB, C&B, you know the drill... Everything was expensive and unimpressive.

So I sat tight for a bit, until I stumbled upon this gem of a company, called Cheeky. I first heard of them when they sent me a set of babyware-- BPA-free plates, bowls, sippy cups. I was impressed by the quality, the design, and the cute prints. They still remain front and center in my baby feeding line-up.

Then I saw that they make porcelain dinnerware... and for every plate purchased, the company donates a meal to someone in need in the U.S.. I was sold. Great quality, great prices, great prints, great cause. Need any other reason to look any further? I would hope not!

 

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HOSTING A STUDIO 54 DISCO BASH!

posted by Elshane on Jan 10 2017, under Home Decor/Entertaining

When the chance presents itself, it's hard for me to turn down throwing a party. In this case, my husband was turning 35 this past weekend, and we knew we had a good throw down to give in us. 

I immediately knew I wanted a theme bash, and soon after, picked Studio 54 disco for its ultra glam, high spirited nature. I knew it would be a hit.

When you throw a theme party and require your guests to dress up, it's important to set the tone with the decor. You can't expect someone to go out of their way to find/make/source a costume, only to arrive to a party that doesn't feel 360 WOW. 

I set out to create that WOW effect with endless metallic fringe curtains, properly placed lighting, glitter, sequins, a black and white dance floor, a DJ, festive dessert, and a whooooole lotta FUNK!

 

 

Step 1: Needed a red, wavy wig. (Costume store, check.) Gold sequin turban? (Etsy, check.) DVF sequin wrap gown (how much more 70's can you go...check.) Glittery shoes (Jimmy Choo, check.) Vintage gold belt (Flea Market find, check.) Oh.... and....

Dressing my husband up as Andy Warhol, a.k.a. possibly the biggest known fixture of the Studio 54 era. (Such an easy costume, check, plus!)

And now for the decor...

I bought 100 yards of super cheap sequin fabric online and used it as drapery over all of the furniture to give an ultra sexy, nightclub 70's vibe.

Metallic fringe curtains doubled as entryway details and selfie walls all around the house.

Target sells LED balloons... yes, they literally glow in the dark.

Glitter everywhere... on every table, on the floor, on the bar, in between my toes. It's all in the details.

I rented up lights in red and pink and placed them throughout the house. The dance floor was black and white checkered and I had a disco ball and fog machine to set the mood. F-U-N-K!

All the party staff (two bartenders, two housekeepers, and DJ) were decked in 70's. I mean... if you were at Studio 54 in the 70's, wouldn't your bartender have an afro, too?

And then there's Homer, our son dog in his custom made (by meeeee) Moroccan tuxedo originally worn to our wedding. He partied until 4am, just sayin'...

I presented an endless dessert bar filled with my husband's favorites (ok, and mine, too). I hired Sweet E's Bake Shop to curate the insanely delicious selection. We feasted on double triple chocolate everything, s'mores this, cookie dough that, cookies 'n cream over here, secret peanut butter bars over there, confetti cakes, a tower of mini cupcakes, snickerdoodle blah blah blah, cookies, brownies, oh wait, and more, and more, and more!

Willy Wonka would have been IMPRESSED to say the least!

The rest is history.

I laid it on thick to the guests to give it their all with their costumes. No one disappointed. Out of all 120 guests, I counted about 30 afros, 10 ridiculous mustaches, endless polyester, sequins from head to toe, and laughs to last an entire year.

Considering throwing a theme party? Studio 54 70's Disco is a guaranteed groovy time!

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GIFT GUIDE: HOME DECOR FOR THE STYLISH SOUL

posted by Elshane on Nov 25 2015, under Home Decor/Entertaining

Rewarding yourself or others with a gift for the home is the greatest pick me up any stylish chick can swing. Whether it's a conversation-starting new gold speckled cowhide rug (perfect for layering over other rugs by the way), a chic marble and brass cheese board practically invented for serving your girlfriends at your Thursday night hosting sesh (simultaneously, a perfect excuse TO host a sesh!), or something as small and warm (and vital) as a fresh room diffuser (a must for every home, I cannot stress this enough), my home decor gift guide has something for all of your needs! Happy shopping and enjoy all of these sales!! 

Shop products by clicking item links below or by clicking their photo in the SHOP THE LOOK tab below. 

Like this gift guide? Tune into the blog every day this week and next for new themed gift guides daily!

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BIRTHDAY GURL!

posted by Elshane on Aug 29 2015, under Home Decor/Entertaining

August 30th: Happy Birthday to me :)

Turning 31 isn't as chic as turning 30, because there's no epic excuse to throw a monster blow out this time around. So instead, I urge you to revisit my birthday party last year, where I re-created Coachella in August, bringing a live band, food trucks, DIY-stations, shotskis, mini golf, and more, straight to my house party in Beverly Hills.

I bring you... #ELCHELLA! Click here to reminisce on the fun with me from last year...

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KITCHEN ESSENTIALS: HOW TO ROAST A CHICKEN

posted by Elshane on Jul 20 2015, under Home Decor/Entertaining

There are some things that boss ladies like us should know: How to manage a team, how to spend our paychecks, how to multi-task. Oh, and how to roast a chicken.

It's so easy, yet so impressive, that it can save you in a pinch whether you're cooking for 1, 2, or 4.

** Working Girl Tip: Prep this dish night before or morning of and leave the pan ready to go in the fridge for an effortless evening ahead. **

What you'll need (this recipe serves 4):

1 whole chicken (I prefer organic chickens about 6.5 lbs) // 8 lemons // Kosher sea salt and freshly ground pepper // herbs- 6 rosemary sprigs, 6 sage sprigs, 6 thyme sprigs //  1 bag baby carrots // 2 bags Brussel sprouts (about 30 sprouts) // 1 large sweet yellow onion // 1 bag baby potatoes // extra virgin olive oil // 1 large roasting pan (check my shopping section below for my favorite roasting pan-- mega worth the investment!)

 

1. Clean chicken- wash it with cold water in the sink, inside and out and remove giblets from the inside. With a paper towel, pat chicken dry inside and out and set aside for a few minutes to fully dry.

2. Position a rack in the upper third of your oven and preheat to 400F.

3. Prepare your veggies: Cut Brussel sprouts in half, cut potatoes in half, slice onion into slivers and throw all plus carrots into roasting pan. Drizzle EVOO over veggies and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper-- mix evenly. Throw 3 sprigs of each herb in the pan with the veggies.

4. Place your chicken in the pan, pushing veggies aside as much as possible (or, with my suggested pan, the chicken sits on top of the veggies which is ideal). Cover chicken in EVOO, salt and pepper evenly on both sides and inside the cavity. Cut four lemons in half, take the seeds out, and squeeze them all over the entire chicken on both sides, as well as all over the veggies. Throw the squeezed lemon halves inside the pan with the veggies.

5. Position chicken breast side down in pan. Pierce two lemons with a fork 3 times each and shove the lemons up the cavity. Then shove 3 sprigs each of thyme, rosemary and sage up the cavity, as well.

6. Put the chicken in the oven, then immediately lower the temperature to 350F and roast, uncovered, for 15 minutes.

7. Remove the roasting pan from the oven. Using tongs or gloves, flip the chicken to breast side up and squeeze two remaining lemons (cut in half and pitted) all over chicken and veggies again. Again, toss the halves in the pan with the veggies to roast. Mix the veggies with a wooden spoon. Return the pan into the oven for 1 hour.

8. After 1 hour, remove the roasting pan from the oven and flip the bird one more time. Return it to the oven and let it cook for about 45 minutes (for a 6.5 lb bird), or as little as 15 minutes for a 4lb bird, or about 30 minutes for a 5lb bird. To avoid overcooking, about 10 minutes before these slated times, insert a meat thermometer into thigh-- it should read 180 degrees when it's fully cooked, and the juices should run clear when the thigh is pricked with a fork.

(Tip: roasting a chicken at 350F takes approx. 18-20 minutes per lb, plus 15 minutes). Cooking times vary.

9. Let the chicken rest outside of the oven for 10 minutes before carving. Find all 8 lemon remainders and re-squeeze their juices over the top of the chicken and all of the veggies. (YUM!)

10. Enjoy!!!

 

Please leave comments if you try this recipe, and tell me how your BossLady Chicken turns out!

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SANTORINI SWING AT HOTEL KATIKIES

posted by Elshane on Jul 10 2015, under Home Decor/Entertaining

This is NOT a drill! This is real life. Well, real life for those visiting the Hotel Katikies in Santorini, Greece, that is.

I've seen photos of Santorini, but nothing compares to actually driving up the steep, windy mountain of Oia, Santorini, and arriving at the top of this like-snow dusted tropical escape to the splendor of this hotel. With only 30+ bungalow in the entire hotel, each room is hidden up, around, on top of and below its own set of winding white stairs tucked into a ocean-view cliff high above the Aegean Sea. 

While heading to your room, you may pass one of the three infinity pools that are perched into the cliff, or one of the multiple restaurants that offer some of the best Greek staples that I've ever had. {Feta cheese and cherry tomatoes have never (and I mean never, ever, ever) tasted so sweet.}

Since there are so few rooms, the service is impeccable and you find yourself befriending the other hotel guests at every turn. With some pools only offering as little as 4 seats, it's the most private public experience you can imagine. And you know each of these guests must be pretty cool... because if they chose this hotel, they must be doing something right!

Come along on with me as I spin you around a tour of my new favorite hotel in the world. My dress couldn't agree more...

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HOLIDAY WEEKEND POOL PARTY

posted by Elshane on May 26 2015, under Home Decor/Entertaining

And with the blink of an eye, summer is once again upon us!

To celebrate, I threw a pool party and BBQ for 80 of my closest friends. You know, just the inner circle! ;)

I served Svedka Vodka cocktails using their new Grapefruit Jalapeno flavored vodka. Mixed with white cranberry juice and fresh lime juice, and garnished with fresh basil picked from my garden, it was refreshing and tasty. Sort of that thing where... you can't have just one!

Some party highlights:

Breaking in my new Safavieh outdoor furniture (to rave reviews)!

VIP guest Jeff Ross from Comedy Central kicking back all day long (all of the boys at the party were "freaking out" as we ladies would appropriately describe).

Successfully finishing the keg (always a proud moment, don't you agree?)

The Andy Cohen-themed 12-person Shotski making its rotation around the party all day long.

I got invited to a destination wedding this weekend from a couple 5-days away from getting married...A couple I had never met before. And I considered it...

The 8 dogs who showed up to boogie down with Hollywood Homer.

The ribs, steak, chicken, turkey burgers, and sausages. And all of the men who manned the grill with courage and conviction.

Oh, and of course night swimming with the last 12 remaining guests in the 85 degree heated pool!

Want to see more action from the actual party? Check out some photos of the big event on my instagram @elshanesworld!

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INTERIOR INSPO: A DOSE OF PALM SPRINGS DECOR

posted by Elshane on May 18 2015, under Home Decor/Entertaining

Call it the War of the West... two hotels side by side, each designed by two of our home decor world's greatest and most individually unique artists, Jonathan Adler vs. Kelly Wearstler. Here, we have The Parker Palm Springs vs. The Avalon Palm Springs.

The Parker can thank Jonathan Adler for their 2004 re-design, a luxe bohemian oasis with a mix of global design influences —  Peruvian weavings and Edwardian chairs. You can spot pieces from his own collection every so often, like his famous Muse sculptures.

The Avalon (originally The Viceroy but with a recent name change) has Kelly Wearstler written all over it, when she brought her classic Hollywood Regency glamour straight to the desert. Black and White geometric walls are splattered with punches of citron and framed with sculptural trees.

Since my own home is a sanctuary of both Adler and Wearstler, it was hard to pick a winner.

But I did. The Parker. 

Enjoy photos of both hotels. I hope you can guess which photos are which hotel! Hint-- anything black, white, and citron is The Avalon (aside from The Parker's life-sized outdoor chess game), everything else is The Parker!

 

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HI! IT'S ELSHANE FROM LOS ANGELES, CA
(BY WAY OF NEW YORK CITY)

I STARTED MY BLOG IN 2010 AS A WAY TO ARCHIVE ALL OF THE ONE-OF-A-KIND RUNWAY PIECES THAT I OWNED FROM WORKING AS THE IN-HOUSE STYLIST FOR DIANE VON FURSTENBERG IN NYC.

THEN, IT ALL HAPPENED SO FAST... BIO

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